Zittende vrouwen voor een gamelanorkest 1921 - 1922

Isaac Israels made this sketch of seated women before a Gamelan orchestra, probably while observing a performance in the Dutch East Indies. It's all about the energy of the line, right? Look how he uses quick, looping marks to capture the movement and forms of the figures and instruments. You can almost feel the music and the buzz of the crowd. It’s like he’s trying to pin down a fleeting moment, a feeling more than a precise image. I’m drawn to the way the graphite varies in tone. Notice the dark, dense shading that gives weight to the figures on the left page, versus the almost ghostly suggestions of forms to the right. Check out how the repeated, rounded forms of the figures echo the shapes of the instruments. There’s a real visual rhythm happening there. This sketch reminds me a little of Degas, in the way he captured fleeting moments of modern life. But Israels has his own distinct flavor. It’s all about capturing the immediacy of the moment, rather than striving for perfection.